When the coronavirus first emerged last year, there weren’t enough tests to go around.
But thanks to a vast improvement in manufacturing capabilities, we now have tests coming out of our butts.
The only issue is that the most accurate one – the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test – isn’t exactly cheap.
This is why researchers across the globe are looking into alternative methods of testing.
China tried anal swabs, but that didn’t take off anywhere else, because, well, I don’t think I have to explain that one.
Now, one German company has devised a testing method that isn’t invasive at all.
German Company Develops App That Can Test for COVID-19 With Eye Scans; Claims 95% Accuracy
It’s 2021 and the future is here.
A German company has developed an app which can test for a coronavirus infection through eye scans.
Semic RF, a Munich-based firm, claims the test has an accuracy rate of 95%.
According to Reuters, the scanning app uses a photo of the eye – which can be taken with a smartphone – and identifies the virus by detecting a symptomatic inflammation called “pink eye”.
It’s not a complicated process, as managing director, Mr Wolfgang Gruber explained:
“You take your app, take a picture of both eyes, send it for evaluation, and then you can have the evaluated result stored as a QR code on the tested person’s smartphone,” Gruber said.
The test takes just three minutes to detect a COVID-19 infection.
“We managed to isolate COVID-19 from over two million different shades of pink,” he said.
The company said the app has already been tested on over 70,000 people. It can process up to a million scans per second.
This could potentially allow crowds back into large-scale events like concerts and football matches.
Since it’s just come out, it won’t be cheap. Companies or commercial users will have to fork out €480 (S$765) per month.
The company also plans to make it available to private individuals in the future.
Locally Produced COVID-19 Saliva Test Kit Ready For Use
Last December, a novel COVID-19 test kit that used saliva samples was introduced.
When using the Resolute 2.0 kit, patients have to draw saliva from deep within their throats and spit into a specimen bottle. The saliva sample will then be tested for traces of the coronavirus.
It was approved by the Health Sciences Authority last December and also received approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for use by laboratories and medical institutions across Australia.
Whether it’s a saliva test or an eye scan, I’m just happy that these researchers are staying away from our butts.
Featured Image: Creative Caliph / Shutterstock.com
